Walden, Stearns argue FCC process bill locks in reforms

As the House prepares to vote on the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act on Tuesday, two Republican House Energy and Commerce subcommittee chairmen said it was an important step toward locking in procedural improvements made by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

While Communications and Technology subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) acknowledged that Genachowski “has made good progress” in reforming the agency and eliminating regulatory bottlenecks, he said “there is much work left to be done” to clear “significant backlogs.”

There are “4,984 petitions, 3,950 applications, and more than 1,083 consumer complaints still pending at the Commission,” Walden said.

The remaining workload issues “highlight the need for good process, and that’s why it’s important we move forward with process reform legislation now, so that the agency locks in the gains it has already made and so that the public will see it continue to improve into the future.”

Oversight and Investigations subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) praised Genachowski‘s work to reduce the backlog of applications as evidence of a “commitment to good process.”

But Stearns noted that more than 3,600 petitions have been pending before the FCC for more than five years. “That’s a lifetime in today’s marketplace,” he said. “I hope the FCC will work to eliminate a significant amount of the backlog and show signs of improvement by its next report due in July.”

The White House expressed its opposition to the bill Monday. The House is expected to complete debate on up to 10 amendments and finish work on the bill by early evening before turning to debate on its 2013 budget Wednesday.

Even if the House passes the bill, there appears little likelihood of Senate action. A Senate Commerce Committee spokesman said “we have no plans to take up FCC reform.” Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) has introduced companion legislation there.

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